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Back Cross and Burn Save as PDF
Chapters (74)
  1. About the Author
  2. Also by Val McDermid
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. CROSS AND BURN
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Epigraph
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67

She’d barely closed the door behind her when Fielding stepped into her personal space and hissed, ‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at?’ Today, Fielding’s accent had abandoned charm in favour of blunt threat. It would have made nobody want to visit Scotland.

Scott smiled sweetly and looked over Fielding’s shoulder to where Paula stood, frowning with worry, trying to melt into the wall. Scott nodded a greeting to Paula then made a deliberate show of looking down at Fielding. ‘You’re going to have to give me more of a clue, DCI Fielding.’

‘You know exactly what I mean, lady. Bringing Carol Jordan in here to meet your client under the pretence of being your intern. Do you think my head buttons up the back?’

Scott’s expression was of amused condescension. ‘I don’t understand why you’re so upset. Carol isn’t a serving officer. She’s entitled to explore new career options. She approached me asking for the opportunity to shadow me to decide whether a career in the law might be for her. I was willing to take that at face value and not assume she was trying to infiltrate my office on your behalf.’

‘On my behalf?’ Fielding sounded like a gasket about to blow.

‘It wouldn’t be the first time your colleagues have tried to undermine my attempts to provide my clients with the best possible defence.’

‘That’s a disgraceful allegation,’ Fielding spluttered.

‘No worse than your imputation of inappropriate motives to me and Carol.’

‘So why was she here, if not to try and compromise my operation?’

‘How could she do that? Are you suggesting your officers are going to sneak around behind your back and leak things you should be disclosing to the defence anyway? All out of some misplaced loyalty to a retired colleague? It must be depressing to have such little faith in your team, DCI Fielding.’ Scott turned away, her fingers on the door handle.

‘I trust my team,’ Fielding spat, her words like sharp little darts aimed at Scott’s heart.

‘Good. Then shall we get on with our “no comment” interview? And perhaps I could have disclosure of the fingermark evidence?’ The last word and the last smile to the defence, Scott thought as she sailed back to her client’s side.

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